West Bridge Journals

It’s a Buck!

It was one of those, “once in a lift time deer”, and Craig wanted that deer real bad. He had been watching that buck for several years, just waiting for him to mature into a real trophy. After watching him in the pre-season, he knew this was the year. Next year the horns would probably be less than trophy size. The feed plots were planted, the stand was built in just the right place where the buck had been seen moving, and Craig was ready! He dreamed about that buck. He could just see him in his sights. Nearly everyday he would set in that stand, just waiting for him to walk out. There were lots of deer, but not “The Buck”.

He had begun to wonder if someone else had shot that deer. Then he saw his tracks again. “Alright, he was still around”, so he just changed his time that he would set in the stand. No luck. Everyday he would hunt that buck. Once he saw him way off, to far for a shot. Then again one day he saw him running the other way. It was like he was being tested to see if he could earn that great title “Deer Hunter”. He had harvested a lot of deer over the years. Last year he got a big 8 point buck, and a nice 9 point with his bow this year, but this buck was to be the one that would give him his due.

Craig’s son Colby is a college student, and while he likes to hunt, he hardly ever goes, due to school and working at the family quail farm. In fact he had only been twice this year, and in the prime deer country that we live in, that is like saying, not at all. He just didn’t have time to hunt.

One day he had a chance to go, and along with Cory his little brother they decided to set in the Buck Stand that daddy had built. Craig had decided to set in another stand, thinking that the Buck would come that way. Do you see where this is going? You would be right. After about 30 minutes in the stand Colby sees a deer walk out. Cory said, “It’s a buck!” Colby who, (like his uncle Keith), is a crack shot, put the big buck down. They got down and walked over to the deer, and after quietly looking at it for a while, Cory said, “Uh oh, you shot daddy’s buck!” And what a fine buck he is. A 24 inch spread, 12 near perfect points, and at least a 135 on the Boone and Crockett register. Not a record buck, but a very fine trophy indeed.